Chapter 2
“You okay?”
Emma dragged her gaze from the retreating ambulance to the man who’d walked up beside her. His voice was like whiskey, smooth and rough in all the right places. She didn’t want to notice, but it was impossible not to.
“Fine. Thank you.”
“Good. You hungry? I was after one of Clarence’s sandwiches when that went down.” He put a hand over his belly. His very flat belly, she noted. “Gonna have to find something else now, I guess.”
She turned back to the view across the field. The sun was sinking behind the horizon, turning the sky pink and purple, and the chill in the air was more pronounced than it had been earlier. Late February in northern Alabama could go either way. Freezing cold or balmy. Today was one of the cold days. She’d retrieved another jacket from her car earlier, so she wasn’t cold, but she would be if she stayed out here much longer.
Blaze Connolly watched her expectantly. She didn’t have to look at him to know it was true. He was tall, broad, with muscles that were packing muscles, and he made parts of her tingle that definitely shouldn’t be tingling. His dark hair was a little shaggy, and he had a couple of days’ worth of scruff on his face. His eyes were blue. Not the blue of denim, but more like a cloudless Alabama sky on a hot summer day.
Emma shook herself. She had no use for men these days. She’d barely escaped the last one. He was the reason she’d tucked her tail and run away to Alabama instead of staying in Chicago and working hard to advance in the ER. Her dreams of a big city career were shattered. She could thank herself for that.
“Thank you, but no.” She was still a polite Southern girl to her core. Her mama would have been bitterly disappointed if she wasn’t. “It’s been a long day. I just want to crash.”
“Got it. You did good in there, you know.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Maybe you don’t need me to say this, but a lot of people wouldn’t handle it well. You kept your head and helped Clarence.”
“It’s my job.” She bit her lip, emotions spinning inside her belly, her heart. She’d lost everything she’d ever wanted when she’d walked away. Now she was here, planning to take over her dad’s practice and be a small-town doctor for the rest of her life. The very thing she’d never intended to do. “I did ER shifts at my hospital in Chicago for four years. I’ve seen gunshot wounds, Mr. Connolly. I wonder if you have, or if you sat behind a desk during your time in the Army. I understand that many military jobs are like that.”
And that little speech right there was something her mama would not approve of. He’d pretty much saved her life—all their lives—and she couldn’t be nice? What was wrong with her?
His eyes were hot. “I’ve seen more than I cared to. I didn’t sit behind a desk. And it’s Blaze.”
Emma dragged in a breath. Why was she being rude? He wasn’t to blame for her choices any more than she was to blame for his.
“That’s an interesting name. B-l-a-i-s-e?”
“Family name. And no, my mom wasn’t that subtle. It’s Blaze with a z and no i. Like a fire.”
Like a fire. She could believe it if the heat rolling off him was any indication. Or maybe it was her embarrassment for the outburst.
“I’m sorry for being so rude, Mr.—Blaze. I’ve driven over twelve hours today, and when I stopped to grab some of my favorite barbecue, I found myself in the midst of a robbery. My first one, I should add.”
He arched a brow. “So you are hungry. I love Clarence’s pulled pork sandwiches. Add some slaw and a side of Miss June’s mac cheese, and life is perfect.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “That’s true, it is. And you caught me.”
He held up both hands. “It’s okay. I can take a hint. No is an acceptable answer, Doc.” He hitched his thumb toward the black pickup sitting beside her BMW. “I’m heading out. But I can’t go until I make sure you’re safe inside your car.”
Her heart squeezed a fraction. In another life, she’d probably tell him she was fine. But since Simon, she didn’t believe it was true. She held her hand out again, determined to end this encounter on the proper note.
“It was nice to meet you. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
He took her hand in his, and a jolt shuddered through her. She focused on the way his skin felt against hers. Smooth, warm, safe.
Safe?
That definitely couldn’t be right. Men weren’t safe. And a man like this who’d moved fast and sure against a gunman with nothing but his bare hands even though he’d had a gun and a knife tucked away on his body?
Definitely not safe or tame. Best to steer clear.
“I’m sure you will,” he said.
She wanted to stand there with her hand in his and hold on to the safe feeling. But it was an illusion. There was no safety for her. She wasn’t sure there ever would be.
He let go first, and she found herself staring at him, unable to speak.
“It’s normal.”
His voice was soft, and Emma jerked to attention. “I’m sorry?”
“That feeling you have. The fear of what might have happened. The shock of the violence. It’s normal. It’ll fade, but if it doesn’t, don’t wait to get help.” He shook his head. “But you’re a doctor. You already know that.”
“Yes. But thank you.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I should go.”
“See you, Doc.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she nodded. Then she hurried over to her car and climbed inside, her heart pounding. When she drove away, Blaze was still watching her.